Scotties Steal Bases and Win from Eagles

The Sidney Eagles came from behind twice on Friday, April 16 once to tie and once to take the lead in the softball game. But the Glasgow Scotties rallied in the sixth and seventh innings to take a decisive 23-16 victory over their hosts. The Scotties put up six runs in the top of the sixth and seven in the top of the seventh to down the Eagles.

"We went to Sidney with a short team. We had two girls out and one hurt," said Ryan Hartwell, head coach. "Our underclassmen had to step up in pretty significant roles for us in the field. But to come out with the win we did felt really good." He singled out sophomore Ashlee Meland as having a particularly good performance, noting she had four hits in five at-bats, with four RBIs and a walk. Meland also earned the win for the Scotties as pitcher, throwing for five innings, allowing 11 runs on 13 hits.

"Everybody hit real well," Hartwell added, "though we did have a few errors defensively." The Scottie coach expects to minimize those errors as he returns to a full line-up and gets his main players in key spots. The Scotties were down three players last week due to injury and ineligibility. Despite the absences, Glasgow turned in a stellar performance in Sidney.

A single line drive by Davyn Myrick sent Meland home to put Glasgow on the scoreboard in the first inning. The Scotties lit up the big board in the second inning, sending four runners home. Meranda Bechel rounded the bases on a triple by Carly Nelson, who would score when Elizabeth Nyquist doubled to center field. Brielle Partridge also scored on E. Nyquist's hit. E. Nyquist crossed home plate herself when Daley Aune hit a pop fly.

Sidney answered, scoring five runs in the bottom of the second to tie the game before Glasgow regained the lead in the third. Bechel again made the trip home late in the inning when Partridge hit a single ground ball. The Scotties kept the Eagles off the board in the bottom of the third and then added four more of their own runs in the top of the fourth.

Meland was again the first to score in the inning, crossing home plate when Myrick hit a hard ground ball. Aune was directly behind her, scoring on a passed ball when Tatum Nyquist was at bat. Nelson singled in her at bat, sending Myrick home and advancing T. Nyquist to third base. Partridge batted Nelson in on a pop fly late in the inning.

Glasgow's defense kept the Eagles from crossing home in the bottom of the fourth, but Sidney returned the favor in the top of the fifth. The host team ran six players all the way around the bases in the bottom, to take a one-run lead. That was the last time Sidney would get on the scoreboard.

The Scotties put runners on the bases early in the sixth, on their way to a six-run rally. Nelson scored Glasgow's 12th run of the game on a single by Meland. E. Nyquist was next on the scoreboard for the Scotties, crossing home plate on a pop fly by Stevie Hartwell while Meland advanced to third. She scored on the next batter when Aune sent a ground ball to the Sidney shortstop.

After a Myrick walk, the Scotties had runners on all bases. T. Nyquist singled on a ground ball to left field, and sent Hartwell and Aune home. Myrick completed her round trip when Nelson singled on a hit to the Eagles third baseman. Partridge grounded out to end Glasgow's sixth inning scoring spree.

Glasgow's defense again held Sidney scoreless in the bottom of the sixth. A ground out on a throw from Myrick at third to Nelson at first and two strikeouts from Partridge ended Sidney's attempts to get back in the game. In the top of the final inning, Glasgow came out strong, took advantage of the home team's errors and sent seven runners home to claim the victory.

E. Nyquist was first over home in the seventh, crossing the plate when Hartwell hit a single fly ball to center field. Meland scored on an Eagle error while Aune was at bat, and Hartwell added another run when Aune singled. Aune ended her time on the bases quickly, stealing second, advancing to third on a passed ball and rounding home when Myrick singled a line drive to left field.

Myrick made her way home when Bechel hit a single to right field and advanced T. Nyquist to third, after she was walked. T. Nyquist completed her run when Partridge grounded out to first base. On the same play, Bechel advanced to third base, setting her up to score on a passed ball with E. Nyquist at bat. A ground out for E. Nyquist ended the Scotties at-bat time.

The Scotties quickly dashed the Eagles' hopes of a dramatic final-inning comeback with a ground out, a line out, one single by Sidney and a ground out to end the game. Meland threw 16 first pitch strikes in five innings and a 55.9 strike percentage, while Partridge threw five in two innings and a 62.9 strike percentage as relief.

Hartwell exuded pride his softball players ability to steal bases and force Sidney errors in the game. "[Sidney] quit throwing to second. They just knew we were going to take the base anyway," he said. Aune and Meland had four stolen bases each while Hartwell and Partridge had two a piece. Bechel, E. Nyquist and T. Nyquist added one each to bring the team's total to 15 stolen bases in the game.

Meland and Nelson led the Scotties in hits with four a piece, followed by Aune and Myrick who each had three. Meland scored four total runs for Glasgow while Aune, Myrick, Bechel and E. Nyquist had three each. Aune, Myrick, Nelson and Partridge racked up three RBIs each.

"After this [upcoming] weekend, we will see where sit in the conference," Hartwell said. The Glasgow Scottie softball team will play in the Great Falls Central Invitational this Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24, facing four conference games. The Scotties will face Cut Bank at 2 p.m. and Conrad at 4 p.m. On Friday. Hartwell expects tough competition from the two teams. On Saturday, Glasgow plays Great Falls Central at noon and Shelby at 4 p.m.